


A Place Further Than Our Reach

by Mochibat



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Kurapika (Hunter X Hunter), Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Tags May Change, Underage Drinking, background killugon - Freeform, fashion designer kurapika, i have a weird obsession with how clothing styles change over the years and this is the result, med student Leorio, model bisky, model killua, model leorio, photographer melody, putting my textiles class to use here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29569614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mochibat/pseuds/Mochibat
Summary: kurapika, at just 19, is one of the major influencers to gen-z fashion. with a legion of followers to impress and a clothing and modeling company to run, you'd think they wouldn't have time to sleep at night, much less fall for one of the models working under them. the same could go for Leorio, a 21 year old med student trying to make a little extra cash by modeling.
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck, Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	A Place Further Than Our Reach

**Author's Note:**

> hello readers! i've had this idea floating around in my head of a model/designer au and finally sat down to write it. im also writing this from my computer instead of my phone to see if the change improves my writing somehow. thank you so much for stopping by and i hope you enjoy.
> 
> the story title is a reference to A Place Further Than the Universe, a favorite anime of mine for a while now. i definitely recommend it.
> 
> the title of this chapter is a quote from Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths

At just 19 years old, Kurapika was one of the most well known trend setters in Yorknew. Critics believed they were either the revolution of fashion or the bane of their existence. Of course, no matter how many ‘genZ are lazy snowflakes’ insults are thrown at them, they push through, insulting Instagram’s algorithm along the way.

What brings us to today, a sunny Friday at about noon, mid-January 40 degree weather seeping through their knitted sweaters, is the subject of their career. Someone finally answered their ad. 

The person in question had a soft tone of voice over the phone, soothing Kurapika’s nerves despite not even trying. They were apparently a photographer, their portfolio full of breathtaking scenery and the natural beauty of their peers from college. Many of the photos featured one subject in particular. They looked older than them, early twenties-ish, with broad shoulders and a handsome jaw. Kurapika found themselves admiring not just the lighting, but the way the subject’s shirts would tug against their muscular chest.

Yes, Kurapika was quite taken with this mystery person, but they are professional. Besides, it’s not like  _ they  _ would be modeling for them. Kurapika let their (hopefully) future coworker decide on a place to eat. It’s a crowded pizza restaurant, with an old school aesthetic that isn’t too in your face about it. It works much like your average Subway, where you go down a line to pick your toppings and pay when you get to the end. 

One of the workers smiled at them, their name tag saying  _ Menchi.  _ “What can I get for you?” She asked. Despite the obvious uniform, she somehow managed to get away with fishnets under her t-shirt and ripped jeans. 

Kurapika had obviously never been there, so they opted for a small pizza and sprite. She kept asking for very specific toppings, utterly confusing Kurapika that there are so many choices for what they just called ‘red sauce.’ 

Her coworker, Buhara, leaned over her shoulder. “You’re gonna scare ‘em off, Menchi. Just let them order.” 

Menchi stuck her tongue out at him playfully before turning back to Kurapika. “Is that all?”

“Yes, thank you,” Kurapika paid for the food, braving the crowd to find this Melody person.

She was surprisingly easy to find, what with her large hat that kept falling into her eyes. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties, short, and a bit on the bigger side. She wore non revealing clothing, though from the neck up Kurapika can see she has burn scars. Her hair looked to be grey from a distance, but upon closer inspection it is peppered with red strands. 

Despite what most would consider faults, she carried an air of confidence and beauty as she scrolled through her phone. Kurapika took a deep breath before holding their hand out. “Hello? Are you Miss Melody?” 

“Oh!” She dropped her phone on the table, quickly standing to greet them. “Oh my! It’s so very nice to meet you Mx. Kurta. You look even more handsome in person, you know. Not to say the camera doesn’t flatter you, it does, but it’s so much different here.”

Kurapika felt their face heat up and they chuckled. Even to this day, compliments are hard to take. “You look lovely as well, Miss. shall we sit down.”

“Yes, of course,” Melody took her seat, Kurapika following. 

“I wanted to go over your portfolio,” Kurapika started, taking out their computer. “Your pictures are absolutely stunning, so I assumed you have multiple clients…?”

“Only a few commissioners,” Melody said. “Most of those are from college. I just graduated, you see.” 

“Well, you’re clearly talented,” Kurapika said. “I also was wondering if you have anyone to model for you.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll leave you his contact information.” Melody wrote it down on a napkin. 

“Thank you, Melody.” 

They soon part ways. The chill of the air swept Kurapika’s sun blond hair out of their face, which flushed from the cold. College students hurried to their destinations, talks of coffee and the latest movie distracting them from the inevitable test soon to arrive at the doors of classrooms. Kurapika was glad they graduated early. They had always been ahead of others in the homeschooling program they took as a teen. While everyone else was hobbled with conserative helicopter parents and too high of expectations, Kurapika’s workaholic tendencies and somewhat relaxed parents made it an easy environment for them to thrive in. 

That reminded them they needed to update them on how their life was going. They took out their phone, contemplating how to tell them that their business was finally taking off when they caught something out of the corner of their eye. A white head of hair and pale, cat-like eyes glared at them from a nearby bubble tea shop. A chill went down Kurapika’s spine, quickly turning away from their gaze. Whoever that kid was, they were creepy as hell. They speedwalked, keeping their head down.

The train was about as crowded as ever. Kurapika groaned at the thought of losing their seat. There was bound to be some middle aged lady insisting she needed to sit because she is older. They looked up at an ad for perfume. Kurapika recognized the model as Biscuit Kreuger, a woman in her late fifties. She had bleached blonde hair and a youthful face despite her age. Not to mention the massive following on instagram. Kurapika remembered being little, playing dress up with Pairo and wishing they could be just like Bisky. They smiled at the fond memory.

Speaking of Pairo, Kurapika saw their name pop up on their screen. They answered quickly with, “hello?”

“Pika! Guess what?!” his voice came over the phone.

“You got a new job?” kurapika guessed.

“I got a new- wait a minute, how’d you know?’

“You say that every time someone hires you,” Kurapika said with an eye roll. Pairo was the kind of person who couldn’t keep a job, not because they’re bad at it, but because he’ll find something else more interesting and chase after that instead. He and Kurapika met at their homeschooling program, which happened to have mostly rich kids. Pairo was the only tolerable one, and they’ve stuck together since.

“Ass,” Pairo grumped. “It’s a makeup company. They’re looking for coders for they’re website.”

“Well, that is what you went to college for,” Kurapika joked. 

“Oh, c’mon Pika! You’re so mean!”

“I try,” they deadpanned.

“Anyway, the company is called Lukso. I’m sending you an Email now,” he said in excitement.

“Are you trying to get me to buy their product?”

“Maaaayyybbbeeeee,” Pairo said. Kurapika laughed in response.

“Well, I need to get on the train. I’ll text you when I get home,” Kurapika said.

“By, Pika! Tell Emperor Time I said hi,” Pairo hung up. 

  
  
  


❅❅❅

  
  


Leorio Paladiknight was a just about average college student. He wanted to become a doctor, had an amazing group of friends, and was always flirting with people. He was also quite handsome, according to Melody. She wasn’t one for romantic relationships, but that never stopped her from actively trying to get as many photos of beautiful people as possible. Lets just say her attention is a huge ego booster for people like Leorio. 

She sent him a text earlier, about a new possible manager and how she sent their contact information to them. This absolutely delighted the college student as he needed a job (retail just isn’t cutting it) and something to do in his free time. He wondered what the person is like, as he sat in class, jotting down notes about the human spine. He pictured one of those savvy ladies in their mid-thirties, always easily charmed and most definitely had dyed their hair red at least once in their life.

What he doesn’t expect is the young adult icon, even younger than himself, with blond hair and winged eyeliner and an overconfident alt aesthetic in their photos. The photo attached to the Email showed them with their hair pulled back, wearing a loud button up and cuffed jeans.  _ Kurapika kurta.  _ Leorio audibly groaned. If this kid was the manager, then what the hell was Melody getting herself into?

At least their smile was pretty hot.

He went onto instagram to check them out. The photos mostly revolved around clothing. Some they took themeself, others someone else took as they model their own clothing line. There were a few pictures of a grey cat with them, as relaxed as a cat could be. The captions and comments would coe at her, praising the cat for simply existing. 

Well, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. Leorio took out his computer to Email him back.

  
  
  


❅❅❅

  
  


Kurapika’s apartment was split in half, so one side was their workplace and the other half was their living space. They had given Melody and Leorio their address so that they didn't have to meet out in public in order to plan their first photo shoot. They also needed to measure Leorio in order to make sure the clothes fit. Emperor Time spread out lazily on her personal bean bag chair (Kurapika spended way too much money on that cat, though they'd never admit to it). 

Kurapika was nervous, as expected, but more so because this would be their first impression with these people as coworkers. Hell, this would be their first time face to face with Leorio. The amount of time they spent thinking about that man was embarrassing to say the least. They sat on the sofa, nervously shoving takeout in their mouth as they waited for the door to ring. 

When it did finally ring, Kurapika almost threw their food in their lap. On their good leggings. They hopped up, bolting for the door. As expected, Melody stood there with multiple bags. She smiled up at them nervously. 

“May I come in?” she asked politely, shifting her footing.

“Yes, of course,” Kurapika stepped aside to let her pass.

“I hope you don’t mind Leorio being a little late. He has some classes today, you see,” Melody explained as she set her bags on the counter.

“So long as he is here by noon I won't be cross,” they chuckled in good nature. It wouldn’t bother Kurapika so long as the man knew his schedule.

“Good,” she said. “I brought my camera today incase you want to see our process. Leorio is very excited to get back to modeling, though I think part of it has to do with the pay.”

“That's.. Actually a good idea. Thanks, melody.” Kurapika lifted their cat up so she could rest in their arms. “My workspace is back here.”

Melody followed them through their apartment. A sliding door separated the workspace from the living room. They closed the sliding door and released their cat on her cat tree. She yawned and curled up to nap. Kurapika motioned to their worktable. “You can put you stuff there.”

She sat her stuff down, taking in the room. She leaned in to get a closer look at the finished clothes hanging by the desk. “This is beautiful. How long have you been at this?”

“Since I was nine. Mother caught me playing with her sewing kit and took that as a sign to teach me to sew,” Kurapika explained, slightly flustered from the compliment.

“So you take after her, yes..?” Melody glanced up at them.

Kurapika smiled, fond memories of his mother surfacing. “Yeah, I guess.”

This seemed to be the perfect time for the doorbell to ring, Kurapika jumping slightly. “It seems Leorio has finally arrived.”

“I’ll go and greet him,” Kurapika said. They opened the door to find all six feet four inches of  _ holy shit he’s hot. _ Kurapika felt their ears grow hot. It was a bit warmer today, but still cold enough for the man to wear a fitting turtleneck.

“Hello~” Leorio greeted. “This the home of Mr.Kurta?”

“Ah, oh, yes, um, I-I I’m Mr. Kurta. Well, Kurapika is fine. Also it’s, um, Mx.” Kurapika stuttered, holding out a hand to shake.

“Sorry,” Leorio gave them an apologetic smile that almost made them  _ melt _ . “I’ll remember that. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you as well,” they managed to say, trying not to freak out. “Well, my studio is right this way.”

They led Leorio through the apartment, hyper aware of his gaze scanning their home. “Wow, this place is really nice,” he said.

“Oh, thank you,” Kurapika looked away shyly. They played with the cuff of their grey-blue sweater.

They pushed the sliding door to the studio open. Melody was standing by the cat tree, giving Emperor Time her full attention. She turned to them when they entered,much to Emperor Time’s disagreement (she batted for more attention). 

“Hello Leorio,” Melody sayed. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”

“No worse than it could be,” Leorio replied. Kurapika chuckled, turning it into a cough as an attempt to not embarrass themselves. They wanted to scream.

“Shall we get started,” they said. 

The meeting was rather enjoyable. They talked about schedules, how to get around classes for Leorio, and what exactly he’d be modeling. Kurapika took out a sketch pad and handed it to Leorio. He whistled lowely, impressed by the drawings.

“I was thinking we could start with suits,” they began. “It’s a safe option and stylized ones are becoming more popular as of late, especially in LGBTQ+ circles. You are okay modeling for that demographic, right?”

“Totally, totally,” Leorio reassured. He looked up and gave Kurapika a wink. “These are some of the hottest designs I’ve ever seen.”

Kurapika looked down, playing with the end of their hair. “Thank you,” they said quietly. Melody makes eye contact with them, giving them a knowing look. Are they that obvious?

Kurapika took out their planner and started jotting down dates and times. They even had little stickers and washi tape they impulsively bought and wouldn’t let go to waste. Leorio and Melody both had basic planners, though Leorio had a few photos tucked inside. Kurapika couldn’t help but notice a younger Leorio smiling at the camera with another little boy, who was in a hospital bed. They wondered who they were, and if they were doing alright. It kind of reminded them of Pairo back when he was getting his legs fixed. The doctors couldn’t really fix his eyes any more than giving him prescription glasses that barely worked and some eye drops, but he had gotten better at navigating despite his disabilities. 

“So our next meeting will be at the food court to gain inspiration on what props and ads to use, correct?” Kurapika said.

“Exactly,” Melody confirmed with a nod. “I must be going then. Lots of paperwork to do today.” she shakes both their hands and leaves with a wave.

Leorio gave Kurapika a warm smile. “It was nice meeting you. Kurapika. Until next time.”

When they shook hands, Leorio’s being so much bigger and so much warmer, sent some kind of signal to Kurapika’s brain to never let go. Still, they managed to pull away, most definitely flushed to their shoulders. “Until next time.”

When the door clicked shut, Kurapika let out a sigh they didn't even know they were holding, slouching against the wall. They threw themselves on the sofa, hyper aware of the tingling warmth left from when Leorio shook their hand.  _ God, I’m acting like a teenager _ , they thought. They looked over at Emperor Time, whose big orange eyes seemed to say,  _ you still are one _ . 

“I know, I know,” they said out loud. “But I’ll be twenty in April.”

_ Who cares. Give me food. _ She ran over and bumped his nose. 

“Alright! I’ll feed you, you hungry little monster,” Kurapika declared. 

The cat meowed as if to say,  _ faster, I don’t have all day.  _

“You’re a cat. All you do is eat and sleep.”

_ And bully you for attention. _

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Kurapika said, scooping up cat food and putting it in her bowl.

  
  
  


❅❅❅

  
  
  


“Soooo,” Pietro put an arm around Leorio. His brown hair was a mess, getting into his eyes. “Any of your new coworkers hotties?”

They were at a bar named Trick Tower, which definitely lived up to its name. The outside was decorated with flashy lights and neon signs, whereas the inside reminded Leorio of a medieval dungeon. He was currently glaring into his drink, wishing and praying that Pietro would just leave him be. The bartender, some guy with a mohawk and nose piercings, slid him another drink.

“Aren't you in a relationship?” Leorio asked with a raised brow. “Or are you just looking for something to tease me about.”

“The latter,” Pietro said simply with a shrug. “Now tell me.”

“They’re nineteen!” Leorio protested.

“So. never stopped you from drinking back then,” Pietro completely missed the point, probably on purpose. 

“Still a teenager,” he reminded his friend. “And what does that have to do with anything?”

“You’re only two years older.” Pietro completely ignored the question.

“A significant gap.”

“For someone underaged.”

“You need better morals,” Leorio pinched him on the shoulder. 

“Ow! Oh, c’mon! At least show me a picture!” Pietro whined. Leorio groaned and brought up Kurapika’s instagram account. Pietro whistled. “Damn, they're hot. You sure you don’t want this?”

“They aren’t an object, Pietro,” Leorio blushed as he put his phone away. This didn’t go unnoticed by Pietro.

“Ah, ah! So you do like them! I knew it! Zepile owes me a twenty.”

“You were betting on this!” Leorio all but screamed, slamming a palm against the table.

“Of course we were,” Pietro said slyly. “This is the longest you’ve gone single since that one girl in middle school who let you touch her boobs and then dumped you the next day.”

“She was my first girlfriend. I had no idea she was gonna ditch me for some goth kid,” Leorio said, waving his arms.

“Punk,” Pietro corrected.

“Whatever!” Leorio threw his hands up. “It’s not like I have a chance with them anyway. They’ve probably got thousands of options with how many loyal fans thirst over them.”

“Yeah, but not all of them get to be up close and personal. I’d imagine they might do some modeling  _ with you _ ,” Pietro teasingly whispered. 

Leorio went beat red. “Fine, if I admit I like him, can we move on to another subject. How's that boyfriend of yours?”

“Great!” Pietro grinned. If there's one thing he loved more than teasing his friends, it was talking about his boyfriend. This was the first one that has lasted longer than a month, and Pietro’s convinced he’ll marry them one day. The only reason he hadn’t proposed was because his boyfriend wants to take things slow. They hadn’t even told their family members, which shocked Leorio. Usually Pietro’s dates brought him home the next day. “He says he’s excited for this weekend. It’s a bit scary, getting to finally have dinner with his family. I have no idea what they’re like.”

“I’ll bet,”Leorio replied. “It must be nice, worrying about something like that.”

“You could worry about that too, you know,” Pietro reminded him.

“I’m  _ not  _ getting a dating app,”Leorio protested.

“Not even a super hot blond?”

“ _ No.  _ Shut up,” Leorio said, folding his arms.

“Oh, c’mon! You won't know unless you try,”Pietro whined. He put an arm around Leorio, shoving a drink in his face. Leorio shoved him off.

“They’re my boss and, like, way younger than me-” “Hah! You said like!” “it’s unprofessional!”

Pietro shrunk away, grumbling into his cup, “you’re unprofessional.”

Leorio sighed, standing up and grabbing his coat. “I have to study. Don’t get too drunk and tell how the parent meet up goes.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Pietro shouted after him. “Go ask out that hotty, then maybe I’ll tell you.”

Leorio watched as the clouds built up, and by the time the bus got to the stop, snow coated the ground. He watched his breath fog the air, a cold wind tickling his face red. The lull of winter always made him sleepy. He adjusted his scarf as he stepped onto the bus, only to pause when he heard a shout behind him. Leorio looks down to see a small figure has just tripped and fallen on the ice, face buried under a scarf and beanie. Familiar strands of blond hair peeked out from under their hat, but Leorio had no time to dwell on it.

“Woah there, you okay?” he helped the person up on unsteady legs, giving them support.

The person hissed in pain. Their leggings were ripped at the knee, blood steadily dripping where they scrapped it. Leorio helped them on the bus and they took a seat together. Leorio took out his first aid kit (he always had one on him just in case) and began cleaning the wound. Every time one of them shifted the blue seats squeaked in protest.

“You gotta be more careful out there, Sunshine. You could have gotten hurt bad,” Leorio lightly scolded. He pressed a cloth against the wound and wrapped it around their knee.

“Is that what you call all your patients, Mr. Leorio.”

Leorio looks up, startled by the familiar voice. A pair of big grey-blue eyes stared back at him, so close he could see every freckle on their flushed face. He squeaked in response. 

Kurapika laughed, and god, if that wasn’t the most beautiful laugh he’s ever heard. “It’s cute.”

Leorio flushed to his ears. “Well, I-I I hear nicknames are something people enjoy, so, yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kurapika took their hat off, shaking the snow from it. “Sunshine seems a bit... flirty…”

“Hey, some of my patients are hot,” Leorio replied. Realization of what he just said hit him and he tensed. “I mean… hey! Don’t laugh!”

Kurapika was holding their stomach, tears forming in their eyes. “Sorry, sorry, I just-” they snorted hard, so hard it hurt, and Leorio started to laugh as well. The other passengers on the bus gave them strange looks. 

“Are-are you free?” Leorio blurted out, surprising even himself.

“Huh?” Kurapika looked up at him, whipping a stray tear from their eye.

“It’s just, I haven’t had dinner yet and I was wondering if you wanted to go out- I mean! It’s not a date! Just that I have no idea if you’ve eaten and it’d be rude to not offer, so-”

“Yes,” Kurapika answered with an eager nod. “I’d love to go, Leorio.”

  
  
  


❅❅❅

  
  
  


Dinner ended up being at a small diner with blue painted walls and white seats. Not really Kurapika’s style, but you could never go wrong with breakfast for dinner. At least, that’s what Pairo always said. Soft music played in the background, the chatting kept to a quiet as most of the patrons were elderly. They took a seat, watching Leorio fiddle with his menu.

“So… crazy weather, huh?” Leorio asked with a cheesy smile.

Kurapika snorted. “Yeah. I have the mark to prove it.”

Leorio’s gaze lingered on them, making them feel hot. Did they have something on their face? 

“So, um, how’s, uh, school?” Kurapika tried, subtly wiping their face with their hand.

“Ah! My favorite subject,” Leorio said sarcastically. He leaned forward, resting his chin against his wrist. “Well, I do try to get good grades. It gets a little gross, but you get used to it.”

“Oh?” kurapika raised a brow. “Like, blood and guts, or…”

“Yeah, blood and guts. Other things too but I doubt you want to hear that over dinner,” Leorio waves their hand.

“I’m sure I can stomach it,” they reassured with a chuckle. 

“Oh. I’m sure you can. But I gotta know, how did you get here?”

“I walked?” Kurapika said sarcastically. That earned a chuckle from Leorio. “I was already ahead in academics, so my parents enrolled me into an online college early. I spent my first two years online and the next two in person. I started my own clothing company during that time.”

Leorio whistled. Must be a tick he did when he was impressed. “Impressive. Wish I could say the same about med school.”

“You want to become a doctor?” Kurapika asked. They had never really met someone who actually wanted to be in the medical field. Usually kids were pressured into it by parents.

Before Leorio could answer, a waitress came over and asked what food they wanted. Leorio ordered bacon, eggs and toast. Kurapika asked for french toast sticks.

“So, what were we talking about?” Leorio asked as a cup of water was set down in front of him.

“You were telling me about med school,” they reminded him.

“Right,” Leorio sipped his drink. “I want to own a private practice one day. See, I got this friend whose parents are still paying off the bills from when he was sick. It lasted a couple of years and he almost died, like, twice. It was supposed to just be a common cold! I felt really bad and decided if the professionals won't heal him without money, then I will!” 

“That's very honorable,” Kurapika said. They looked down into their water. “You wanted to help your friend. That’s more than I could ever do.”

“Oh,” Leorio placed a hand over Kurapika’s. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”

“Huh?!” Kurapika startled. “Oh, no! It’s not like that. See, I also have a friend. More disabled than sick, but I get what you mean. He can’t see or walk very well because of an accident. I only got out with a few minor bumps…”

“So you feel guilty?”Leorio asked. Kurapika nodded. “Don’t be. I know it’s hard, but it’s not like it’s your fault.”

“ _ I know _ . I can’t help it,” Kurapika glared at him. One thing that Kurapika absolutely hated: people telling them how to feel. They lifted the cup to their lips.

The waitress came back, setting down the plates as Leorio held a staring contest with the blond. Kurapika couldn’t help but notice how warm and bright his brown eyes were. Those eyes seemed to twinkle with mischief and kindness all the same. Kurapika scolded themselves for staring into his eyes like a love-struck school girl. They straightened up and picked up their fork, biting into the food. Leorio grinned a stupidly cocky grin that gave Kurapika a tingling feeling in their stomach.

“Seems I’ve won,” he said, folding his arms and taking a proud bite from his plate.

“We would have been mistaken as a… thing. And it was getting kind of awkward,” Kurapika flushed in their excuse, angrily biting into their french toast sticks, syrup dripping down their face. 

Leorio picked up a napkin and wiped the sugary mess from Kurapika’s face. They quickly snatched the napkin away, whisper-yelling, “not to mention insufferable!” 

Leorio laughed, and god what a laugh it was. Booming and bright against the dim winter night, and Kurapika couldn’t help the thought of loving this man.

“You sure are a firecracker aren’t you, sunshine,” Leorio laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. Kurapika’s face must have not been pleasant because Leorio quickly quieted down. “Don’t worry. It’d be unprofessional to date my boss, anyway.”

“And just when I was warming up to you,” Kurapika drawled. 

Kurapika’s phone went off. They pulled it out to be greeted by a rather unexpected text. Their eyes widened, paleing at the sight. It was a picture of Pairo and his parents at dinner. His mom held up peace signs while his dad barely gave a smile. Pairo had a relieved sort of smile. Just an average family photo. Except it wasn’t. Except Pairo didn’t usually send photos like this. Especially one with a fourth member in the photo. 

Kurapika suddenly wanted to throw the table, storm out of this restaurant unpaid, drive to his aunt and uncle's house, and demand to know who was dating what was basically their baby brother. The boy who was chubby as a teen and had vision problems and used a cane for most of his life. The boy who nervously went to countless surgeries clinging to Kurapika’s shirt because he needed his best friend for every big thing. The boy who was put in Kurapika’s kindergarten class despite being almost two years younger than everyone else because his parents wanted to get him on the learning curve early. The little boy who fell off a cliff at nine years old just to save his best friend. The little boy who was now very much an adult, dating another adult, who was definitely older than him, and had no right dating Pairo. 

So maybe Kurapika was a bit overprotective, but you can’t just show up and take him away like that! They could have cried, realizing Pairo had grown so much since they moved away to be closer to the docks, leaving Kurapika in an empty loft apartment with a princess of a cat and big dreams of taking over the world with their art being crushed. Kurapika has hit rock bottom before, and Pairo left them to find a new dream. And that dream was currently meeting his parents before they met Kurapika.

“You good, Kurapika?” Leorio spoke, jolting Kurapika out of their internal spiral.

“Oh, um, nothing!” Kurapika quickly turned off their phone, setting it in their lap.

“I doubt that,” Leorio muttered to himself.

“Excuse me?” Kurapika suddenly felt defensive. Who was he to nose in on someone else’s business.

Leorio frowned. “I. Doubt. That.” 

Kurapika bristled. What was with this man, suddenly turning irritated like that. “Well, it’s none of your business anyway!”

“I didn’t ask!” Leorio shouted. Someone from a nearby table shushed them. He repeated it in a whisper.

“Then why are you judging me,” Kurapika accused, pointing a finger at him.

“I wasn’t! You were on your phone. Most people don’t do that out of common courtesy,” Leorio gritted out.

“It was family! And it’s not like it’s a date!” Kurapika argued. Seriously, where was all of this coming from.

Leorio ran a hand through his spiky dark hair. He mumbled curses to himself before talking. “Not everything is about you. You’re just as self centered as I thought you’d be.”

“Self centered!  _ Self centered! _ You brat, you’re one to talk! All you do is nose around in everyone's business. Ever heard of a private life?” Kurapika all but shouted. 

“Brat? Who uses brat anymore? And it’s just simple get-to-know-you questions. No wonder you look so stiff all the time. You can’t make connections if you try.”

Kurapika’s jaw dropped. How dare this ass of a man make assumptions on their personality. They dug out their wallet and dumped a wad of cash on the table, not caring if it got in the food. They stormed out without a word of goodbye. Their eyes stung as they fought the harsh cold of winter.

How dare Leorio act that way, in a restaurant mind you. With his boss. Kurapika wouldn’t blink twice if they never saw him again. The man was a nuisance anyway. By the time they had gotten to their apartment they were wet and cold, tired and furious at the world and whatever string of fate brought them and Leorio together. 

They practically tore off the layers of coats and sweaters, collapsing into bed and fading into a restless sleep.

  
  
  


❅❅❅

  
  
  


Leorio woke up with a headache. Between the drinking and the way Kurapika got angry with him, sleep was very hard to come by. Still, he had classes to take and friends to gossip with. The day was full and the world kept turning, so he might as well get out of bed.

His phone had multiple messages. He scrolled through them. Most were of Pietro and his boyfriend excitedly texting him. The parent meet up seemed to go well. He could at least be happy about that. All the other messages… well, let's just say he was surprised that Kurapika even tried to contact him.

Kurapika’s nasally, drunk voice came over the phone. “Leo-ri-o. I-I I’m sor-ry! I did-didn’t mean to storm-m out! It was-s so rude. I’ll never-er do that again.”

Leorio could almost laugh at the comical way Kurapika sniffled into the phone. At least he knew they were a sad drunk. There was a crash in the background. He hoped it was the cat. Underaged drinking is not something to sneeze at, even if he used to do it too.

“And my cat-t is making a mess-ess!” Leorio snorted, shaking his head. Last night certainly was something.

After Kurapika sat staring at their phone for what he assumed was over ten minutes (leaving Leorio in a very awkward silence, mind you). he decided to ask his boss what was troubling him. Kurapika seemed pretty distressed, like their life was falling apart. And the way they reacted… at the time Leorio was angry, but looking back Kurapika was probably just taking it out on him. He didn’t really help matters, but Leorio was stubborn to a fault and tended to match rage with rage. It was something he needed to work on if he was ever to become a doctor.

“I-I just. I just don’t want you to quit! You’re-re very hot. And-d nice. I don’t want to fi-ight! Please, ple-ease,” Kurapika sobbed. 

Leorio stops the message. He presses the call button, waiting on agonizing rings.

A scratchy, tired voice answers. “Hello.”

“Hey, Sunshine. Feeling any better?” leorio put on his most cheery self.

“Why the hell are you calling me at… god, five o’whatsit in the morning?”

Leorio sighed, shaking his head. “Because I’m worried about you…?” 

A noise sounded through the phone. “Wha-what'd I do?” they sniffed.

“Well, getting drunk from what it sounded like,” Leorio gave an awkward chuckle.

Kurapika groaned. Something must have clicked. “Sorry… I’m not exactly put together…”

“We all have our days,” Leorio reassured. He poured himself a cup of coffee. “Hey, here’s an idea. Why don’t we hang out today? We could watch a movie or something…”

There was a moment of silence before Kurapika spoke up again. “If it doesn’t bother you…”

“Great. Does seven thirty work?” Leorio asked.

He heard grumbling over the phone before a shy response, “sure…”

“See you later Sunshine.”

“Bye.”

Leorio hung up. He was going to need something nice to wear. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. The snow piling up outside his window signaled a heavy jacket. He decided to take his car today, not wanting to walk through the cold streets. The radio blared old school rock, something he couldn’t help but sing along to.

When he got to the apartment, Kurapika was swaddled in a blanket. Apparently cold weather was a foe to them. 

“Mornin’,” Kurapika greeted. They held a mug of tea just under their nose, sniffling.

“Hey there, Sunshine,” Leorio said. He ruffled their hair, the other grunting and lightly swatting his hand away. “Feelin’ any better?”

“Obviously not,” Kurapika muttered. They sat down on the sofa, patting the cushion beside him.

Leorio sat down, watching as Kurapika grabbed the remote and changed the settings on the TV. The way their blond hair, obviously carelessly combed, fell against their flushed cheeks, and the freckles that dotted their nose, which scrunched up in concentration, distracted Leorio of everything else in the room. They turned on a movie, something about firefighters and aliens, though were quickly distracted by their laptop. 

“Whatcha’ got there?” Leorio asked hesitantly.

“I just got an Email,” Kurapika explained. “It looks like I’ll be getting another model on my hands.”

“Really?” Leorio couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

“Yeah, some kid from the east. Killua Zoldyck.” Kurapika scrolled down. “Child actor, taking a break right now apparently.”

Leorio’s eyes widened. It couldn’t be… “holy crap. The Killua Zoldyck. He’s in like, hundreds of movies. And he’s only fourteen! That’s- that’s insane.”

“Mhm,” Kurapika seemed unbothered by this. “Family business. From the sounds of it, he probably got bored of it.”

They opened up the actor’s portfolio to see quite the familiar face, though they couldn’t tell why. Maybe they saw one of his movies. “Whoever photographed them is really good, but the amount of shirtless photos is a bit weird.”

“Maybe his last photographer was a creep and he wants a new one,” Leorio said.

“Definitely a creep,” Kurapika agreed. “The way these are angled is making me uncomfortable.”

At least that’s the worst of it,” Leorio mumbled, leaning over Kurapika to get a better look. 

“Well, I hope you don’t mind modeling alongside someone so young. My audience tends to be around his age so it works out,” Kurapika began writing back.

“Whatever makes the money,” Leorio shrugged.

“Whatever makes the art,” Kurapika countered with a smirk.

“Someone’s sassy this morning,” Leorio pinched their cheek.

Kurapika squeaked. “Would you stop that!”

Leorio brushed his fingers on Kurapika’s neck, tickling them. “Stop what?”

Kurapika practically squealed in response, pushing Leorio’s hands away. “Can’t you keep your hands to yourself for two seconds!”

“Nope,” Leorio cheekily replied, going in to tickle Kurapika’s sides. Kurapika giggled, sliding off the couch to escape the tourture. Emperor Time decided this would be the perfect moment to launch herself onto Leorio’s lap, settling in for a nap. “Alright, guess I give. You win this time, Kurta.”

Kurapika brushed themeself off, crawling back into their spot. “It was an unfair fight anyway.”

“Wha-what, how!?” leorio sputtered, throwing up his arms. Emperor Time protested with a rather offended squeak.

“I had no time to prepare,” Kurapika reasoned, turning their attention back to writing out an Email.

“Ever heard of ‘element of surprise?’” Leorio countered.

“So.” Kurapika pouted, and for a second Leorio was tempted to call them out for being too cute.

“So…” Leorio grabbed Kurapika by the waist and squeezed them against him. “I win!”

“Gah! You’re insufferable!” Kurapika pushed themselves away.

“And hot.”

“Shut up!”

“You aren’t denying it,” Leorio poked them.

“Well, I hired you for a reason. You have to be photogenic,” Kurapika frowned at him. “Doesn’t make you any less annoying.”

“And yet you keep inviting me into your apartment,” Leorio said. Kurapika groaned, hiding their face in their hands. Why did this man tease them so much? They must have made a face because Leorio laughed joyfully.

“Shu-shut up!” Kurapika said.

“Make me,” Leorio leaned toward them. Kurapika grinned at him. He leaned in closer. Leorio felt his cheeks grow warm, glancing down at their lips. Slightly chapped from the cold, he took note. Would they be soft?

Kurapika snorted and leaned back, startling Leorio out of his daydream. “Yeah, like I have to.”

“Hey-”

Kurapika’s phone went off. They put a finger against Leorio’s lips while answering. “Yes, Kurapika speaking. Oh, Gon! It’s been a while. How are you? Ah, yes. Good, that’s good. I’m doing well, thank you. How’s your aunt? That’s great. I’m sure she’s glad you’re home. What?! Leaving already? For York New! That’s-that’s great. You’ll be able to go to school here, that’s nice. Alright, well I gotta go,” they glanced up at leorio. “Yes, alright. Alright. Talk to you later, bye-bye.”

“And that was…?”

“An old friend,” Kurapika smiled at him. “Do you want something to eat?”

“Sure,” Leorio said. Kurapika stood and headed towards the kitchen.

“Do you want ramen or pizza?” Kurapika asked as they looked inside the fridge.

“Is it ordered?” Leorio called, cupping a hand around his mouth.

“It can be,” they said, pulling out their phone.

“Perfect.”

  
  
  


❅❅❅

  
  
  


Kurapika spent the rest of the day going over sketches with Leorio. They were thinking of starting with a spring line. This usually meant suits and dresses for weddings and holidays. Pastels and traditional designs were usually good for those. They also needed to make something for Valentine’s day. Reds and pinks were a go to, but they wanted to try something bold.

“Purple suits? That is bold. I like it,” Leorio traced the pencil lines, admiring what Kurapika thought of as a rough sketch. “The red accents are nice too.”

“Well, I had to tie it in somewhere. My target audience likes bold, but they also like familiar. It’s a stretch but I think it checks out,” Kurapika flipped the page. “And these are some of the dress ideas I’ve come up with. I think the purple skirt is dark enough that the red stands out, don’t you?”

“I’m no expert, but this is hot,” Leorio agreed. “I wish I were this creative.”

“You can be creative too, don’t worry. It just involves putting people back together is all,” they patted his arm, pleasantly surprised by the muscle under his shirt.they had to force themself to let go. Leorio handed the sketch book back to them, and they immediately whipped out a pencil and their pinterest inspiration board to put something together. “I’m thinking of trying some turtlenecks with Killua. Pair that with a t-shirt and shorts and I think we have a look.”

“Ah. very interesting, seeing you in your natural habitat. Is this what you did while making my outfits?” Leorio asked.

“This is what I do for all of my designs. The internet is a very helpful place, you know,” Kurapika said, scrolling through their boards. “I can’t believe checkerboard is already coming back. I missed it a little too much.”

They began sketching out a design. Based on Killua’s style already present in his portfolio, Kurapika guessed his audience would like something breathable and easy to move around in. They jotted it down next to a turtleneck with a checkerboard pattern, red and black. They added a dark purple v-neck and a pair of black and red basketball-style shorts. 

“Like this?” they held up the sketch. Leorio nodded his approval. Kurapika giggled almost devilishly before sketching up more possible designs. Leorio’s phone buzzed. He checked it before frowning.

“I gotta go. My mom’s having a mini panic attack right now because my brother did something stupid,” he ruffled kurapika’s hair as a way of goodbye. “See you around.”

“See you.”

The door closed and Kurapika leaned back with a sigh. Leorio was too good for him. They had a habit of wanting things too good to be true. But this was not the time or the place for something as silly as a crush. One that may not even last to the end of the week. 

Emperor Time jumped onto his lap, curling in a ball. They gave her pets, looking out at the grey clouds. Spring was coming, and just fit for the season was their new crush.

**Author's Note:**

> this is kind of exciting to write.   
> next chapter: Pull These White Sheet From My Head.  
>  spring is coming at full force, so lets get sewing Kurapika!


End file.
